Steps needed to protect rivers

Speakers at the closing ceremony of a two-day 5th International Water Conference at Kuakata in Patuakhali recently said people should come forward to protect the rights of rivers. They said people need to be more active to protect the rights of rivers as the High Court judgment alone is not enough to ensure that.

  As lungs in human body play a dominant role in the act of respiration, so do the rivers and canals play a vital role in protecting country’s environment, flora and fauna, bio-diversity and ecological balance. Rivers and other water bodies are the repositories of fishes that meet the nutritional demand   of the people of the country.  But the fishes of these water bodies are declining fast due to grabbing of wetlands by a section of influential people that is contributing to the shrinkage of the wetlands.        The grim reality is that at least 117 rivers of Bangladesh have disappeared because of disruptions in their water flows in the upstream and unplanned construction of culverts, bridges and embankments in the country. Many rivers are gasping for their existence.   

No noteworthy measures have been taken to protect the rivers in the country. Unplanned and uncoordinated urbanisation has taken its toll on the rivers, other water bodies and fish resources in the country. This is a blow to the country’s economy. River pollution is another menace that is wreaking havoc. Industrial waste, household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths. Grabbing of wetlands, particularly rivers, by a section of influential people is contributing to the shrinkage of the same.  

It is painful to note that the rivers like Padma, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Sandhya and Bangalee have already dried up in the absence of  maintenance of the same. Many species of fish have disappeared from these rivers. It is high time for the relevant authorities to take stringent actions against the grabbers to protect the country’s rivers and water bodies. The authorities should ensure that the rivers are fully dredged, illegal encroachments on them ended and the laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways.

 

 

 

Steps needed to protect rivers

Speakers at the closing ceremony of a two-day 5th International Water Conference at Kuakata in Patuakhali recently said people should come forward to protect the rights of rivers. They said people need to be more active to protect the rights of rivers as the High Court judgment alone is not enough to ensure that. As lungs in human body play a dominant role in the act of respiration, so do the rivers and canals play a vital role in protecting countrys environment, flora and fauna, bio-diversity and ecological balance. Rivers and other water bodies are the repositories of fishes that meet the nutritional demand of the people of the country. But the fishes of these water bodies are declining fast due to grabbing of wetlands by a section of influential people that is contributing to the shrinkage of the wetlands. The grim reality is that at least 117 rivers of Bangladesh have disappeared because of disruptions in their water flows in the upstream and unplanned construction of culverts, bridges and embankments in the country. Many rivers are gasping for their existence. No noteworthy measures have been taken to protect the rivers in the country. Unplanned and uncoordinated urbanisation has taken its toll on the rivers, other water bodies and fish resources in the country. This is a blow to the countrys economy. River pollution is another menace that is wreaking havoc. Industrial waste, household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths. Grabbing of wetlands, particularly rivers, by a section of influential people is contributing to the shrinkage of the same. It is painful to note that the rivers like Padma, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Sandhya and Bangalee have already dried up in the absence of maintenance of the same. Many species of fish have disappeared from these rivers. It is high time for the relevant authorities to take stringent actions against the grabbers to protect the countrys rivers and water bodies. The authorities should ensure that the rivers are fully dredged, illegal encroachments on them ended and the laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways.